Display device



l. K. HACKETT. DISILAY DEV|CE. APPLICATION FILED Auem. 1917.

Patented June 22, 1920.

INVENTOR AT RNEYS JAMES K. HAGKETT, on NEW YORK; N. Y.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 22, 1920.

Application filed August 11, 1917. Serial No. 185,723.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES K. Hacnnr'r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display Devices, of which the followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to display devices. and particularly to illuminating devices adapted to be mounted upon moving vehicles and operated by the rush of air due to their movement.

It is an object of my invention to provide a display device which will be attractive in day-light, and which may be illuminated at night.

It is a further object of my device to provide means for illuminating my display de vice in such a way that it will be attractive either as an ornament or for the purpose of giving asignal or warning.

My'device includes a moving member and I propose to mount lights thereon. If a light is lighted during a certain portion of its movement and another lighted light,

preferably of a difierent color, 1s carried over the same path immediately after the first light moves over that path, it will apear that there is a progression of lights. t is an-object of my invention to arrange the lights 39 that this appearance will be secured. K I

Other and further objects and advantages will appear from the following description,

' taken in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification, and they will be pointed out in the hereunto appended claims.

In Figure 1, there is shown a front view of a display device embodying features of m%invention ig. 2 shows a side view partly in section, of the device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram.

In the construction disclosed by this specification for the purpose of making my invention understandable, a bracket 1 is provided which, for convenience, may be provided with a clamp 2 for attachment to the radiator filler of an automobile. Of course, other attaching means may be provided, ac cording to the place at which it is desired to position the bracket. This bracket includes an arm 4: upon which is mounted the hub 6, of a multibladed fan, having blades 7, which contacts with the washer 7 which is held upon the arm/1 by the nut 8. To the hub 6 is secured a commutator 9, the development of which is shown in Fig. 3. This commutator includes contacting bars 10 which are electricaiiy connected by circumferentially extend ng parts 11 and which are spaced by insulation members 12. A. spring 13, abutting against the collar 1 1, presses on the commutator and holds the hub 6 against the washer 7. A second arm 15, formed on the bracket 1, has a brush 16 adjustably secured in it which engages the commutator 9.

Bulbs 17 are mounted upon the blades of the fan so that they. are all equally spaced and so that they are equidistant from the axis of rotation of the fan. A wire 20 leads from the commutator to one contact of each bulb and current is led t0 the other contact of the bulb through the fan by means of the conductor 25 leading from the b1 ttery and attached to the bracket 1.. The collar 26 insulates the brush 16 from the bracket and the conductor 27 leads from the brush to the battery 3'0.

In the construction described the comma tator contact sections 10 are of equal width and they are equidistantly spaced. Each of the bulb 17 will be illuminated as it passes through an are having the same length, for example, as the are A shown in Fig. 1. If the bulbs are of diiierent-colors, for instance, red, white and blue, there will be first a red streak, for example, of the length of the are A, then a white streak and then a blue streak, and the same will be true at the arcs B and C- The intermittent lighting of the buibs will make it appear that there are three elongated lights jumping from one position to another, and this will be very conspicuous as a display device. There is a switch 3:?- in the circuit, which is under the controi or" the driver, whereby the lights may he turnel on only when it is desired to give out signal. Since the fan is rotated by the rash of air against the oblique blades, its speed will be proportional to the speed of the vehicle. This will also add to the dispiay produced. 7

While I have shown and described, in great detail. my invention, I do not intend to be iimited to the specific features herein set forth for the purpose of interpreting my invention. but intend that my invention shall inciude such variations, adaptations or modifications as appear-to those skilled in the art and such as fall within the hereunto ap ended claims.

a commutator and a brush member, one of said members being carried by said blade and the other being stationary, said commucomprising a plurality of electrically connected parts of spaced by insulating members.

2. ha lighting device, a multibladed fan mounted for rotation, a light on each blade, a circuit for said lights, means for closing said circuit at intervals during the rotation of'said fan and comprising a brush member being uniformly said fan.

3. In a lighting device, a multibladed fan mounted for rotation, a light on each blade, a circuit. for said lights, means for closing said circuit at intervals during the rotation of said fan and comprising a brush member and a commutator member, one of said members being carried by said fan and the other stationary, said commutator member comprising electrically connected parts of equal width and corresponding in equal width number with said lights and separated by insulating members lights being uniformly spaced circumferentially of said fan, said lights being'of different colors.

separated by insulating members, the lights being spaced circumferentially of said fan. c

In an illuminated display device adapted to be attached to a vehicle, a multibladed fan mounted for rotation about an axis, a portion of the blades being oblique to the axis, a light on each blade, a circuit for the lights, means, operated by the rotation of the fan, for closing said circuit at intervals during the rotation of the fan, and comprising a brush member and a commutator member, one of said members being carried by the fan and the other being held stationary, said commutator comprising electrically connected parts correspondin in number with said lights and separated insulating members, the lights beln space circumferentially of said fan, the I ed by the impact of the air In testimony whereof I name to this specification.

JAMES K. HAOKETT.

against 1t. have signed my atter,be1ng operat- 

